XN000022-1981-02-18 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1981

ORDERS-ON-HAND STATISTICS FOR DECEMBER

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THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY RELEASED ORDERS-ON-HAND STATISTICS FOR DECEMBER 1980 AS FOLLOWS:

INDUSTRY GROUP

DEC 1979

NOV 1980

DEC 1980

WEARING APPAREL, EXCEPT FOOTWEAR

5.1

5.0

4.8

TEXTILE, EXCEPT WEARING APPAREL

3.2

2.3

2.2

PLASTIC PRODUCTS

4.2

3.6

3.8

FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS, EXCEPT

MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

4.1

3.7

3.7

ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC MACHINERY

APPARATUS, APPLIANCES AND SUPPLIES

5.1

5.0

5.0

OTHERS

3.9

3.6

3.8

ALL MANUFACTURING

4.5

4.2

4.2

THE GENERAL DECREASE IN ORDERS-ON-HAND COMPARED WITH 12 MONTHS AGO MAY NOT SUGGEST A SUBSTANTIAL DECLINE IN BUSINESS VOLUMES BUT RATHER A TENDENCY FOR ORDERS RECEIVED BY THE MANUFACTURERS SURVEYED TO HAVE BECOME SHORTER AND MORE FREQUENT.

THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE BASED ON AN UPDATED AND ENLARGED PANEL OF THE 200 LARGEST MANUFACTURING COMPANIES SELECTED BY THEIR EMPLOYMENT SIZE IN SEPTEMBER 1979. AS THE PANEL IS NOT A SCIENTIFICALLY DESIGNED SAMPLE, RESULTS OBTAINED WILL BE REPRESENTATIVE ONLY OF THE COMPANIES INCLUDED IN THE PANEL, BUT IT IS HOPED THAT THEY WILL GENERALLY INDICATE THE DIRECTION OF CHANGE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE.

THIS SURVEY, WHICH IS CONDUCTED MONTHLY, ALSO ASKS QUESTIONS ON EMPLOYMENT AND PAYROLL AND COVERS THE CONSTRUCTION AND SELECTED SERVICES SECTORS BESIDES MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY.

THE SURVEY REPORT FOR DECEMBER 1980 IS NOW ON SALE AT $1 A COPY AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE. ENQUIRIES ON THE SURVEY RESULTS MAY BE MADE TO THE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION STATISTICS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT (TEL: 5-274203).

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